AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine recipients will be able to sign up for their second dose earlier than expected.
As reported by Sudbury.com last week, Ontario residents who received their first dose of the AZ Vaccine between March 10 and March 19, 2021 can begin this week to schedule an appointment for their second dose of AstraZeneca.
This applies mainly to Ontario residents who were part of the pharmacy rollout vaccine plan that was done in Southern Ontario. There were no Northern Ontario pharmacies involved in that plan until the second week of April.
While the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines is considered helpful, it is the second dose — or booster shot — that provides more complete immunity against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
As it stands now, there is no information yet on when an early second dose of AstraZeneca might be available for more Ontario residents — especially Northern Ontario residents — who received their first dose in April.
The Ministry of Health said it will share information soon on when those individuals would be able to book an appointment for either 10 to 12 weeks after the first dose.
Earlier this year, the health ministry said it had established the dose interval at 16 weeks, roughly four months.
This was done in a bid to allow for individuals to get their first dose as well as a way to ensure that enough vaccines were available at a time when the supply chain appeared to be faltering.
The ministry has now said that receiving the second dose of AstraZeneca at a 10-week interval provides strong protection against COVID-19. Individuals who do not opt to receive the second dose of AstraZeneca at the 10-week interval will have an opportunity to schedule second dose appointments at the 12-week interval, which is considered a more optimum dose interval.
"The province will provide further guidance with respect to administering two different vaccines for first and second dose in the coming weeks," said a news release Monday from Public Health Sudbury and Districts.
"It is important to remind patients that when the time comes to receive a second dose, everyone who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will receive either an AstraZeneca or mRNA vaccine for their second dose to complete their vaccine series," the release continued.
